PENDANG: The Covid-19 situation in the country is under control and there is no need to close the borders, says Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa (pic).
However, she said, the government is taking precautionary measures by implementing certain approaches at the nation’s checkpoints to curb infection.
As of Tuesday (Jan 11), no infections or symptoms were detected at entry points despite the arrival of about 7,000 tourists from China since Jan 8.
"The people’s awareness is still good, at a high level, and as such the situation does not warrant closing the borders,” she told reporters after the handing over of the Hospital Pendang project by the Works Ministry here on Thursday (Jan 12).
Also present at the ceremony was the Tunku Mahkota of Kedah Tunku Shazuddin Ariff Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin.
Dr Zaliha said that although the number of screenings was in the tens of thousands every day, the number of positive cases detected throughout the country was low.
On the hospital, Dr Zaliha said it will begin operations on Feb 15 and serve about 110,000 residents in the surrounding areas with emergency and outpatient facilities as well as 126 beds.
Construction started in May 2018 and was completed in October at a total cost of RM255.27mil including construction costs as well as medical and non-medical procurement.
The minor specialist hospital offers services in 11 fields including emergency, general medicine, general surgery, orthopaedics, anaesthesiology, radiology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, pathology and psychiatry. – Bernama
